Engine starter



Jun 3, 4 H. A. SCHAUERI ENGINE STARTER Filed March 7, 1938 INVENTOR.

Ha rrg H.5chauer BY V JWZ .f/

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 3, 1941 ENGINE STARTER Harry A. Schauer, Wauwatosa, Wis.,assignmof one-half to William H. Schmidt, Milwaukee,

Wis.

Application March 7, 11938, Serial No. 194,404

2 Claims.

This invention appertains to engine starters, and more particularly tostarters for automobile engines of the type shown in Patent No.2,070,277, issued to Alex Johnson, on February 9, 1937.

This patented structure successfully took care of driving torque throughresilient members formed of rubber, and eliminated the use of metalsprings.

The present invention has for one of its primary objects the provisionof means whereby desired endwise or longitudinal resiliency is obtainedin the starter to the further end of decreasing objectionable shock andnoise incidental to the engagement of the starter pinion with the ringgear of the engine to be started, and the stopping of the pinion on thescrew pinion shaft, and to facilitate the driving engagement of thepinion with the ring gear. 7

Another salient object of my invention is the provision of a resilientmember of rubber or the like disposed directly on the electric motordrive shaft and interposed between a part of the electric motor and themeans employed for obtaining torsional resiliency, whereby shock due toendwise thrust placed upon such means will be absorbed by the resilientmember, said member also forming resilient frictional contact betweenthe motor and said means, whereby to hold the means on the shaft and toresist turning movement of said means on the shaft.

A further object of my invention is to provide an elastic rubber memberinterposed between the starter motor and the means employed forobtaining torsional resiliency, said member being placed undercompression when said means is assembled upon the drive shaft tosecurely lock or hold said means upon said shaft by frictional contact,said member also functioning to quickly urge the starter pinion intoproper engagement with the engine ring gear when said member is placedunder compression by the teeth of the pinion striking the teeth of thering gear.

A further important object of my invention is the provision of means forobtaining longitudinal and torsional resiliency in an engine starterdrive without the employance of moving parts.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device which,while exceptionally adaptable as an engine starter, can be successfullyused between any drive and driven parts where longitudinal or torsionalresiliency or both is desired.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement, and formation of parts, as will behereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of my improved starterattachment, with parts thereof broken away and in section to illustratestructural details.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View through my improved device takenon the line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through the starter on theline 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter Sgenerally indicates my engine starter, which includes the longitudinallyextending drive shaft 5. This drive shaft 5 can be considered as thearmature shaft of an electric starter motor, the armature of which isshown at 6.

Rotatably mounted upon the drive shaft 5 is the screw shaft 1 for thestarter pinion 8. The starter pinion 8 is in the form of a nut andtravels upon the screw shaft 1 for movement into engagement with and outof engagement with the ring gear (not shown) of the engine to bestarted. Not only is the screw shaft I mounted for rotary movement onthe shaft 5, but the same also has a limited longitudinal movement onsaid drive shaft.

Disposed on the shaft 5 is a pair of spaced end caps 9 and Ill, andthese end caps are rigidly united together and carry the longitudinallyex tending abutment rib H. The end cap it is mounted over the screwshaft 1 and is connected thereto by means which will be later set forth.

Between the end caps 9 and ID, the shaft 5 has mounted thereon a sleeveI2, which carries thereon the radially extending abutment rib I3. Thisrib I3 is of the same character as the rib H and is normally disposeddiametrically opposite the same. The inner face of the sleeve l2 hasformed therein a longitudinally extending keyway M, in which is receiveda key 15 carried by the drive shaft 5.

Substantially semicylindrical-shaped resilient blocks 16 and I! areplaced around the sleeve 12 between the ribs II and I3, and theseresilient members are employed for taking up torsional strains, as willbe also more fully set forth,

A protecting housing can be employed for enclosing the resilient blocksl6 and I1, and this housing is in the nature of a cylindrical sleeve l8placed over the caps 9 and |0. By this arrangement, the resilient blocksare held in place and protected against oil, grease, and road and enginedebris.

A screw l9 can be employed for uniting the housing sleeve IS, the capl0, and the screw shaft 1 together, and, if desired, a filler ring 20can be interposed between the cap Ill and the screw shaft I. Thefastening screw l9 also extends through this filler ring.

To obtain longitudinal resiliency and frictional contact, a resilientmember 2|, which is shovm in the form of a rubber block, is placed onthe drive shaft 5 between the cap 9 and a part of the electric motor.Thus, this resilient member 2| can engage the end wall of the casing ofthe motor or can engage a direct part of the armature 6 itself. As isclearly shown in Figure 1, the resilient member 2| can be of acylindrical form and is adapted to be slid on the shaft 5 before theassembling of the various other parts of the starter on the shaft 5. Theblock 2| is preferably formed from live rubber, but other resilientmeans can be utilized, which has the characteristics of rubber.

In assembling the starter, the sleeve I2 is ini- 'tially placed betweenthe end caps 9 and Ill, after which the sleeve l2 and the end caps areplaced on the drive shaft as a unit. The end cap 9 is provided with anotch 22, and the end caps 9 and it] are turned on the shaft and on thesleeve I2, so as to permit the notch 22 to'receive the key l5, and thecap is pushed firmly back against the resilient block 2| to place thesame under compression or tension.

After the key |5 slides into the keyway M of the sleeve l2, the end cap9 is rotated, so as to move the notch 22 out of alinement with the keyi5, which locks the elements mentioned on the shaft 6 against outwardlongitudinal movement. As the resilient member 2| is now placed undertension, the same acts to hold the mentioned parts assembled. Thesemicylindrical cushioning blocks |6 and I1 are now placed on the sleevel2 with the terminals of the blocks abutting the ribs H and I3. Thescrew shaft 1 with its pinion 8 and the filler ring 20 are now placed inposition, and the fastening element I9 is threaded into place to holdthe screw shaft 1 and the cap I together.

When the circuit is closed through the electric motor for starting theengine, rotary movement will be imparted to the screw shaft 1, and thepinion 8 will be threaded out on the screw shaft 1. As the cushionblocks I6 and Hare interposed between the starter shaft and the screwshaft 1, these cushion blocks will effectively take care of torsionalstrains, and when the pinion '8 has its movement stopped on the screwshaft 1 through engagement with the engine ring gear or other abutment,rearward or endwise thrust placed on the pinion and screw shaft will beeffectively taken care of by the resilient member 2|, which will becompressed. This compression or tension of the resilient member 2| willassist in quickly propelling the pinion forward into proper engagementwith the ring gear. Obviously, rearward or endwise thrust on the pinion8 and the shaft 1 will be transmitted through the fastening element [9,caps 9 and I0, and their connecting rib H, to said resilient member 2 I.

By this construction and arrangement, an exceptionally simple anddurable structure is had, in which both longitudinal and torsionalmovement is effectively taken care of by resilient or cushioningmembers.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or thescope of this invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. In an engine starting device, a starting motor having a drive shaft,a screw shaft having a pinion thereon mounted upon the drive shaftforrotary and endwise movement, a driving connection between the driveshaft and screw shaft including, a sleeve feathered on the drive shafthaving a longitudinally extending abutment rib, end caps on the driveshaft having a connecting rib, means connecting one of the end caps withthe screw shaft, resilient driving members on the sleeve having theirterminals engaging the ribs, and a resilient member on the drive shaftdisposed between the starting motor and the cap remote from the capconnected to the screw shaft.

2. In an engine starting device, a starting motor having a drive shaftprovided with a radially extending key, a screw shaft having a pinionthereon rotatably and slidably mounted upon the drive shaft, a pair ofspaced end caps, and a longitudinally extending rib longitudinallyconnecting said caps, the innermost cap having a notch for receiving thekey, whereby said end cap can be placed on the drive shaft over the keyand with the notch out of alinement with thekey, a sleeve on said driveshaft between the end caps having a longitudinally extending radiallydisposed rib on the sleeve, resilient driving members disposed betweenthe last mentioned rib and the rib carried'by the end caps, meansconnecting the outermost end cap to the screw shaft, and a cylindricalresilient member disposed on the drive shaft between the starting motorand'the innermost end cap placed under tension by the assembling of theinnermost end cap on the drive shaft to hold the parts against movement,said cylindrical resilient member setting up frictional driving contactbetween the drive shaft and the innermost end cap, and resisting endwisemovement.

HARRY A. SCI-IAUER.

